Orange Hunter's Moon To Rise In Maryland Sky

A full Hunter's Moon will glow over Maryland Sunday evening, and it may appear Halloween-orange as it rises over the horizon. Usually the Hunter's Moon has an orange glow because it rises from the horizon around sunset.

The moon will officially be at its peak at 5:07 p.m., but you will get the best view in Maryland when the sun sets around 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 13.

Civilizations around the world have used the moon phases to keep track of time, and each one has a special name — or several, depending on regional folklore and seasonal characteristics.

September was the harvest moon, while November is the beaver moon or frost moon.

Why is October's full moon called the Hunter's Moon?

"Some folks believe that this full moon was called the full Hunter's Moon because it signaled the time to go hunting in preparation for winter," according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. "Since the harvesters had recently reaped the fields under the Harvest Moon, hunters could easily see the fattened deer and other animals that had come out to glean."

These are the times for sunset, moonrise and moonset for the next few days (the best times for viewing the Hunter's Moon), as well as the evening weather forecasts, so you can get out and take a look at the Hunter's Moon yourself:

• Sunday: The moon peaks at 5:07 p.m. but it will be most visible at sunset, which is at 6:30 p.m. and at moonrise at 6:51 p.m.; mostly cloudy with 20 percent chance of rain.
• Monday: Moonset is at 7:44 a.m., sunset 6:29 p.m., moonrise 7:18 p.m.; clear skies.
• Tuesday: Moonset is at 8:44 a.m., sunset 6:27 p.m., moonrise 7:47 p.m.; partly cloudy.

The November full moon will be Tuesday, Nov. 12, and the December full moon will be Thursday, Dec. 12.

The 2020 Hunter's Moon will be on Halloween.

Tidal Variation During Full Moon

There was some flooding around the region on Saturday, Oct. 12, which weather officials said was in part caused by the coming of the Hunter's Moon.

"There is a coastal flood warning in effect for the Baltimore Harbor," Baltimore's Office of Emergency Management reported Saturday night. "This combined with the impending Hunter's Moon has caused some minor flooding in the area of Thames & Wolfe. Stay alert and take necessary precautions. High tide is scheduled for 6:58a. More flooding is possible."

The moon's gravitational pull is strongest during a full moon, causing the tides to be higher.

Some roads were closed in Annapolis Saturday due to flooding, and the National Weather Service posted flood alerts from St. Mary's County to Havre de Grace.

As of Sunday morning, several alerts had expired. However, a coastal flood warning remained in effect for St. Mary's County, where flooding was likely to occur until 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 13; a coastal flood advisory was in effect in Baltimore until 1 a.m. Monday, Oct. 14; and a coastal flood advisory was effective for Anne Arundel County until 8 a.m. Monday, Oct. 14, calling for ponding at the Annapolis City Dock parking area.

Meteor Shower Forecast

While the moon makes it more difficult to see meteors, which are best viewed in a dark sky, the Orionid meteor shower is active right now. It will peak overnight Oct. 22-23.

The Orionids continue through Nov. 7 and are among the fastest of meteor showers because the Earth collides almost head-on with a stream of dust grains left by the comet Halley.

You’ll want to get up early (or go to bed late) for this one. At the peak, a bright moon will disrupt viewing until shortly before dawn.

"The saving grace for the Orionids, if you go out the last hour or two before dawn, the moon might have set in time for you to catch a few," NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke told Space.com.

Typically, the Orionids produce about 20 meteors an hour, but in exceptional years, like 2006 and 2009, they’ve rivaled August’s famous Perseid meteor shower. Cooke expects the shower to produce about 30 or 40 meteors an hour this year.

The meteors radiate from the constellation Orion, but can be seen from anywhere in the sky.

— By Patch editors Ryan Bonner, Beth Dalbey and Elizabeth Janney